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BULLETIN     OF    XHE 

CAUFORNIA 
TEACHERS'  ASSOCIATION 

Supplement  to  the  Sierra  Educations^  News 


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State  Uniformity  and  State 

Publication  of 

High  School  Textbooks 

BRIEF  AND  REPORTS  BY 

California  High  School   Teachers'    Association 

California  High  School  Principals'  Convention 

California  Council  of  Education 

State  Teachers'  Association 


SEPTEMBER,  1916 


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BRIEF  AND  REPORT  ON 

State  Uniformity  and  State 

Publication  of 

High  School  Textbooks 

BY  A  JOINT  COMMITTEE  REPRESENTING 

California   High    School    Teachers'    Association 

Lewis    B.    Avery,    Assistant    Superintendent   of    Schools, 
Oakland,  Chairman. 

California  High  School    Principals'    Convention 

Noel   H.    Garrison,   Principal    High    School,    Stockton, 
Chairman. 

California  Council  of  Education, 
California  Teachers'  Association, 

W .   L.   Glascock,   Principal   High   School,   San   Mateo, 
Chairman. 


365358 


J^  »-  o 

PREFATORY    NOTE 


At  the  last  session  of  the  Slate  Legislature  (1915J  a  committee  was  appointed 
for  the  purpose  of  investigating  the  entire  matter  of  state  publication  and  dis- 
tribution of  high  school  textbooks.  This  committee,  early  in  1916,  met  in  Eos 
Angeles,  with  a  committee  representing  the  High  School  teachers  of  the  state. 
An  adjourned  meeting  was  held  at  San  Francisco  in  May.  Arguments  were 
presented  on  both  sides  of  the  Cjuestion  of  State  Uniformity  and  State  Publica- 
tion of  High  School  Textbooks,  the  State  Printer  and  his  associates  represent- 
ing one  side,  and  high  school  teachers,  principals  and  superintendents  the  other. 
A  supplementary  brief  is  herewith  submitted  in  hnal  reply  to  the  arguments 
presented  by  the  proponents  of  State  Uniformity  and  Stat?  Publication.  This  is 
made  necessary  in  order  to  correct  certain  statements  made  l)y  the  proponents 
and  to  show  the  fallacy  of  certain  of  their  conclusions,  which  are  based  upon 
mistaken  premises. 

This  Bulletin  is  the  result  of  Committee  work  on  the  part  of  representatives 
of  the  California  High  School  Principals'  Convention,  the  California  High 
School  Teachers'  Association,  the  California  Council  of  Education,  and  the  State 
Teachers'  Association.  It  is  thus  the  expression  of  practically  the  entire  teach- 
ing body  of  the  state.  The  arguments  advanced  are  characterized  by  breadth 
and  scope,  based  upon  knowledge  and  experience. 

Part  I  of  the  Bulletin  concerns  itself  chiefly  with  tlie  economic  considera- 
tions of  Uniformity;  Part  H  deals  mainly  with  the  educational  phases  of  State 
Uniformity. 

At  its  meeting  in  Fresno  in  January  last,  the  High  School  Principals'  Con- 
vention went  on  record  as  against  State  Uniformity  of  High  School  Texts.  A 
committee  representing  this  convention  has  been  working  in  conjunction  with  a 
committee  appointed  by  the  Fligh  School  Teachers"  Association  at  its  regular 
session  of  1916  at  Berkeley.  This  Association  voted  unanimously  in  favor  of  a 
resolution  opposing  .State  Uniformity  of  High  School  Textbooks.  The  Chair- 
man of  this  latter  Committee,  as  Chairman  of  a  Committee  from  the  California 
Teachers'  Association,  two  years  ago,  instituted  a  state- wide  investigation  as  to 
the  attitude  of  the  school  people  of  the  state  regarding  the  question  at  issue.  The 
replies  were  practically  unanimous  against  state  uniformity.  It  thus  appears 
that  the  statements  and  conclusions  here  presented  stand  not  onJy  upon  the  argu- 
ments here  outlined,  but  are  backed  by  the  opinions  of  the  workers  in  the  field, 
these  opinions  being  based  upon  their  experience,  their  observation  and  their 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  real  needs  of  the  schools. 

The  articles  published  in  the  January  and  February  issues  of  the  Sierra  Edu- 
cational News,  and  reprinted  in  pamphlet  form,  have  been  in  such  demand  by 
teachers  and  the  public  generally,  l)()th  in  California,  and  throughout  the 
country,  that  the  edition  is  entirely  exhausted.  This  demand  has  made  it  seem 
wise  to  issue  a  large  edition  of  this  Bulletin. 

In  issuing  this  Bulletin,  under  the  auspices  of  the  California  Teachers'  Asso- 
ciation, a  charge  of  10  cents  per  copy  has  been  fixed,  to  defray  cost  of  publica- 
tion.    Address  for  further  information — 

California  Teachers'  Association, 

Monadnock  BIdg.,  San  Francisco,  Gal, 


STATE    UNIFORMITY    AND    STATE    PUBLICATION    OF 
HIGH  SCHOOL  TEXTBOOKS 


The  accompanying  brief  and  arguments  are 
submitted  by  the  joint  committee,  represent- 
ing various  educational  interests  of  the  state, 
in  answer  to  the  advocates  of  State  Uniform- 
ity and  State  publication  of  High  School 
Textbooks. 

Important  issues  raised  relate  to  the  com- 
parative actual  cost  of  state  published  books 
and  those  purchased  in  open  market;  the  plan 
of  furnishing  books  free  by  the  school  dis- 
trict; who  were  the  early  advocates  of  free 
textbooks;  edixational  lealership  in  the  State 
vs.  State  imlformlty  and  State  publication  of 
elementary  texts;  advantages  of  freedom  in 
selection  of  books  to  meet  the  needs  of  differ- 
ent   localities,    and    like    significant    issues. 


I 


ECOXOMIC  COXSIDERATIOXS 


proponents  mis-state  reasons  for 
teachers'  opposition 


In  the  brief  and  arguments  which  we 
submitted  at  Los  Angeles  and  San  Fran- 
cisco we  did  not  question  in  any  manner 
the  sincerity  of  the  proponents  in  urg- 
ing state  uniformity  of  high  school  text- 
books. We  had  hoped  that  in  these  dis- 
cussions our  own  sincerity  would  be 
respected  in  like  manner.  We  have  stat- 
ed clearly  and  forcefully  that  we  repre- 
sent the  educational  interests  of  the 
high  school  pupils  of  California ;  that 
our  sole  aim  is  to  preserve  the  efficiency 
of  the  high  schools  of  the  state  and 
prevent  any  action  which  will  tend  to 
render  high  school  instruction  less  prac- 
tical. We  must,  therefore,  challenge 
the  statement  that  the  majority  of  the 
teaching  profession  are  opposing  state 
uniformity  because  of  a  "desire  for  an 
unlimited  number  of  selective  texts.'' 
To  intimate  that  the  great  majority  of 
teachers  are  actuated  by  such  a  motive, 
or  bv  any  motive  other  than  the  con- 
servation of  what  we  earnestly  believe 
to  be  the  best  educational  interests  of 
California,  is  an  unwarranted  reflection 
on  the  sincerity  of  the  great  body  of 
teachers  of  this  state. 


sarcasm  worse  than  futile 
We  must  also  challenge  the  sarcastic 
reference  to  the  attitude.o.f  the  teachers 
in  advocating  free  high  school  text- 
books. ''Sarcasm,"  say  the  proponents, 
"is  futile  in  argument,  hut  we  are  in- 
clined to  submit  the  question:  With 
their  indorsement  of'  free  textbooks  for 
high  schools,  why  liave  the  opponents 
left  this  proposal  and  propaganda  to  the 
printers  and  the  working  people  of  the 
stated'  In  reply  we  have  only  to  cjuote 
a  report  of  the  California  Council  of 
Education,  in  which  a  system  of  free 
textbooks  for  California  schools  was  ad- 
vocated by  the  teachers  as  early  as  1902. 

The  teachers  of  California  have  not, 
as  the  proponents  affirm,  been  slow  to 
show  "consideration  of  our  tax-payers' 
burden."  On  the  contrary,  they  were 
the  first  to  advocate  free  textbooks  for 
the  schools  of  the  state.  In  the  light  of 
this  fact  we  shall  concede  that  the  sar- 
casm of  the  proponents  concerning  our 
advocacy  of  free  textbooks  is  indeed 
futile,  as  they  have  suggested. 

REAL  REASON   FOR   CALIFORNIA'S  LEADER- 
SHIP   IN     EDUCATION 

It  is  very  gratifying  to  note  the  cap- 
tion on  the  proponents'  brief — "Califor- 
nia a  leader  in  education."  Our  state 
is,  indeed,  one  of  the  most  progressive 
of  all  the  American  commonwealths, 
thanks  to  that  very  body  of  teachers 
whose  "good  judgment  and  considera- 
tion of  the  tax-payers'  burden"  is  ques- 
tioned by  the  proponents  of  state  uni- 
formity. The  proponents  would  have 
you  believe  that  this  leadership  is  due  to 
the  system  of  state  uniformity  and,  state 
publication  of  elementary  school  text- 
books. \\'e  wish  to  point  out  that  the 
only  general  estimate  of  the  efficiency 
of  school  svstems  in  the  United  States 


IS  that  published  in  1912  by  the  Russell 
Sage  Foundation.  In  that  estimate  the 
high  schools  of  California,  working  un- 
der a  textbook  system  which  the  pro- 
ponents have  denounced,  were  second  in 
rank,  while  the  elementary  schools, 
working  under  a  textbook  system  which 
the  proponents  consider  ideal,  were 
fourth  in  rank.  We  would  also  point 
out  that  every  one  of  the  twelve  states 
at  the  bottom  of  the  list  have  state  uni- 
formity of  high  school  textbooks,  while 
none  of  the  twelve  states  at  the  top  of 
the  list  had  state  uniformity  of  high 
school  textbooks  at  the  time  the  report 
was  compiled.  Surely  the  proponents 
erred  in  offering  California's  leadership 
in  education  as  an  argument  for  state 
uniformity. 

UNIFORMITY  MEANS  A  STRAIT-JACKET 

\\  hile  it  is  quite  beside  the  question 
to  discuss  the  use  of  supplemental  books 
in  the  elementary  schools,  and  the  al- 
leged attempt  to  substitute  supplemental 
books  published  by  eastern  publishing 
houses  for  the  state-printed  textbooks, 
we  cannot  refrain  from  suggesting  that 
the  laws  of  California  give  the  propo- 
nents a  ready  and  efficacious  remedy  for 
any  violation  of  the  textbook  law.  While 
the  question  raised  has  no  direct  bearing 
on  the  matter  under  discussion,  we  must 
solemnly  protest  against  the  sweeping 
allegation  of  wrong-doing  on  the  part 
of  our  co-workers  in  education,  the  ele- 
mentary school  teachers  of  California. 
We  would  respectfully  suggest,  also, 
that  this  statement  concerning  the  use 
of  supplemental  material  in  the  ele- 
mentary schools  represents  fairly  the 
attitude  the  proponents  would  assume 
under  a  plan  of  state  uniformity  for 
high  schools.  They  would  deny  the 
right  of  the  high  school  to  use  supple- 
mental material.  They  would  insist 
upon  absolute  uniformity  in  the  instruc- 
tion offered  in  the  high  schools  of  the 
state.  This  argument  offered  by  the 
proponents  only  confirms  us  in  the  be- 


lief that  the  proponents  are  preparing 
for  the  high  schools  of  California  a 
strait-jacket  which  will  check  our  ef- 
forts to  adapt  education  to  the  needs  of 
the  students  and  to  make  our  instruction 
practical. 

TEXTBOOK   PROBLEMS  OF   HIGH   AND  ELE- 
MENTARY SCHOOLS  DIFFER  GREATLY 

In  an  effort  to  discount  the  substan- 
tial arguments  against  state  uniformity 
presented  by  the  opponents  at  Los  An- 
geles and  San  Francisco,  the  proponents 
state  that  the  same  arguments  were  used 
when  books  for  grammar  grades  were 
first  considered.  In  our  first  brief  we 
pointed  out  clearly  and  specifically  the 
difference  between  the  elementary  and 
high  school  situations.  Since  our  argu- 
ment on  this  point  seems  to  have  es- 
caped the  attention  of  the  proponents 
we  take  the  liberty  of  offering  the  fol- 
lowing quotation  from  our  original 
brief,  submitted  by  Hon.  Will  C.  Wood, 
Commissioner  of  Secondary  Schools : 

"I  wish  to  empha.size  the  fact  that  the  prob- 
lem of  high  school  textbooks  is  not  analogous 
'to  the  problem  of  elementary  school  books. 
The  elementary  school  is  an  old  institution 
and  its  course  of  study  and  organization  are 
-Standardized.  The  course  of  study  for  ele- 
mentary schools  in  New  York  state  differs 
\ery  little  from  the  course  of  study  in  our 
own  state.  A  sixth  grade  class  in  arithmetic, 
whether  in  California  or  Virginia,  studies  frac- 
tions: a  third  grade  studies  addition  and  sub- 
traction. We  have  had  three  centuries  of 
experience  in  making  a  course  of  study  for  the 
elementary  schools,  so  the  course  is  standard- 
ized and  fixed  to  a  remarkable  degree.  Since 
there  is  uniformity  in  grading  and  in  courses 
of  study  in  the  elementary  schools  throughout 
the  state,  it  is  comparatively  easy  to  adopt  a 
uniform  series  of  textbooks  for  the  elementary 
schools.  The  adoption  of  such  a  series  in  the 
grades  does  not  force  a  radical  reorganization 
of  elementary   school   work. 

"When  we  consider  the  public  high  school 
we  face  a  situation  utterly  different.  The 
liigh  school  is  a  new  institution,  comparatively 
sjieaking.  There  were  only  40  public  high 
schools  in  the  United  States  in  1S60.  In  1900 
there  were  6000  and  in  1915  there  were  15,000. 
In  1900  there  were  only  500,000  pupils  enrolled 
in  the  high  schools  of  the  United  States.  In 
1915  there  were  1.500.000.  The  growth  of  the 
high  school  sim-e  1900  has  been  remarkable. 
Before  that  date,  the  high  school  was  domi- 
nated very  largely  by  the  university;  it  was  an 
institution  whose  prime  purpose  was  the  prep- 
aration of  pupils  for  college.     In  the  last  fifteen 


years  the  high  school,  in  response  to  a  popu- 
lar demand,  lias  broken  tlie  shackles  which 
bound  it  to  the  college.  The  real  life  of  the 
American  high  school  began  only  a  decade  or 
so  ago.  The  high  school  is  now  changing  with 
remarkable  rapidity  to  meet  the  demands  of 
the  people.  The  old  courses  of  study  are  oelng 
imxlified:  new  courses,  especially  vocational 
courses,  are  being  introduced.  So  great  is  the 
growth,  so  rapid  are  the  changes  that  it  Is 
absolutely  impossilile  at  this  time  to  give  an 
adequate   definition   of  a   high   school. 

"I  have  had  opportunity  to  visit  more  high 
schools  in  California  than  any  other  state  offi- 
cial. I  wish  to  say  that  there  is  the  widest 
divergence  among  the  high  schools  of  Cali- 
fornia. Take  the  City  of  Los  Angeles  for  ex- 
ample. Visiting  the  high  schools  of  this  city 
for  even  one  day  would  convince  you  that  the 
high  schools  are  so  different  that  they  cannot 
be  standardized  without  working  a  revolution 
in  high  school  work.  Moreover,  you  would 
observe  such  excellent  work  in  class-room,  and 
shop,  and  laboratory,  and  field-work,  so  ad- 
mirably linked  up  with  life,  so  vital  and  in- 
spiring, that  you  would  realize  how  harmful  it 
would  be  to  impose  rigid  uniformity  upon  the 
high  schools  of  California.  It  is  true  that  this 
city  has  a  certain  degree  of  uniformity  in  its 
text-books,  but  this  uniformity  is  so  flexible 
that  the  growth  and  efficiency  of  the  schools  is 
not  checked  thereby.  This  vital,  energizing 
high  school  work  Is  possible  only  because  we 
have  construed  the  present  text-book  law  lib- 
erally. Take  the  subject  of  mathematics,  for 
example.  All  the  high  schools  of  the  city  offer 
the  traditional  course  in  algebra,  plane  geom- 
etry, advanced  algebra,  solid  geometry  and 
plane   trigonometry. 

The  great  Polytechnic  and  Manual  Arts  High 
Schools  wanted  to  offer  a  course  in  shop  math- 
ematics for  the  boys.  I  was  asked  if  a  text-book 
in  shop  mathematics  could  be  adopted.  I  found 
that  the  entire  course  in  mathematics  was 
provided  for;  that  a  full  series  of  text-books 
in  mathematics  had  been  adopted.  Could 
I  permit  the  adoption  of  an  additional  text- 
book for  those  boys  in  the  shops?  I  turned  to 
the  god  of  uniformity  and  lie  shook  his  head. 
I  turned  to  the  god  of  common  sense  and  he 
nodded.  Censure  me  if  you  will,  but  I  obeyed 
the  god  of  common  sense.  Again,  I  was  con- 
fronted with  the  following  situation:  A  school 
had  adopted  a  complete  systein  of  text-books 
in  bookkeeping  and  accounting.  A  class  of 
girls  ■wanted  to  study  household  accounting. 
The  question  arose  whether  a  system  of  book- 
keeping adapted  to  a  wholesale  house  should 
be  applied  to  the  household.  Could  a  system 
of  accounts  dealing  with  pig-iron  and  steel 
rails  in  ten  thousand  dollar  lots  be  made  to 
serve  the  purposes  of  young  women  who  in 
later  life  would  buy  beefsteak  in  twenty-five 
cent  cuts,  or  new  shirtwaists  at  98  cents?  You 
may  censure  me  again,  but  I  held  that  the  law 
was  not  made  to  render  education  impractical; 
that  wherever  a  class  was  organized  for  a  spe- 
cial, practical  purpose,  another  text-book  could 
be  used.  A  few  days  ago  the  principal  of  a 
small  high  school  in  this  county  (Los  Angeles), 
wrote  me  stating  that  the  new  freshman  class 
was    decidedly    weak    in    English.      The    school 


had  adopted  a  complete  series  of  English 
texts,  which  met  the  needs  of  the  average 
class,  but  all  of  these  text-books  were  too 
advanced  for  this  particular  class.  I  had  to 
choose  between  the  principle  of  uniformity 
on  the  one  hand  and  the  good  of  those  pupils 
on  the  other. 

"I  could  stand  here  all  day  and  recite  in- 
stances similar  to  those  I  have  given.  In 
every  instance  the  choice  had  to  be  made  be- 
tween uniformity  on  the  one  hand  and  prac- 
tical education  on  the  other.  In  deciding  the 
problem  which  your  honorable  committee  is 
investigating,  the  choice  is  between  uniform- 
ity on  the  one  hand  and  practical,  vital  in- 
struction on  the  other.  If  we  adopt  a  uniform 
series,  we  must  adopt  text-books  that  will 
contain  bare,  dry  principles  that  may  be  ap- 
plied anywhere.  We  shall  rob  our  courses  of 
the  vital  elements,  for  the  vital  thing  in  high 
school  work  is  the  linking  up  of  the  studies 
with  life.  Since  life  is  not  uniform  the  'link- 
ing up'  cannot  be  uniform;  the  text-books 
should  not  be  uniform  throughout  this  great 
state.  The  people  have  been  demanding  in 
loud  tones  that  the  high  schools  shall  fit 
young  people  for  life.  Will  the  people  take 
away  the  link  that  is  being  forged?  Will  they 
say  to  the  high  school  people — 'Make  your 
schools  practical;  fit  our  children  for  life', — 
and  at  the  same  time  take  away  the  very  tools 
that  are  necessary  to  accomplish  this  great 
work?" 

AN    ANALYSIS    OF    THE    ANONYMOUS 

LETTERS 

The  proponents  have  submitted  two 
letters  written  by  Cahfornia  high  school 
teachers  in  advocacy  of  state  uniform- 
ity. It  will  be  noted,  however,  that  the 
censor  has  deleted  the  names  of  the 
teachers,  who  are  fearful  that  publica- 
tion of  their  names  would  jeopardize 
their  positions.  Waiving  discussion  of 
the  alleged  Reign  of  Terror  among  the 
high  school  teachers  of  California  be- 
cause the  absurdity  of  the  allegation  is 
so  patent,  we  shall  analyze  some  of  the 
statements  made  by  these  two  people. 

First  of  all,  we  would  have  you  note 
the  statement  on  page  lo  of  the  propo- 
nents' brief  that  "the  proponents  for 
uniformity  of  high  school  textbooks 
have  as  yet  made  no  campaign  among 
the  legislators  nor  the  school  teachers, 
hut  we  are  informed  that  this  action  is 
being  taken  by  the  opponents.  A  nu)n- 
her  of  teachers  have  without  solicita- 
tion, given  us  their  opinion  that  uniform 
books  could  be  adopted  with  benefit  to 


the  schools  and  the  pupils.  *  *  * 
Tlic  following  letter  from  a  luell-knoivn 
educator-  of  the  south,  ivritteu  to  the 
opponents  of  unifonnity,  expresses,  ive 
beiiet'c,  the  viezvs  of  many  of  the  teach- 
ers and  principals.''  Then  follow  the 
two  letters. 

Recalling  that  these  letters  were  writ- 
ten tcithont  solicitation,  we  are  at  a  loss 
to  understand  why  the  second  letter  ad- 
dressed to  the  Committee  upon  Promo- 
tion of  Uniform  Hio^h  School  Books 
should  begin  as  follows:  " Replyin;!  to 
your  request  for  an  opinion-  on  'Shall 
textbooks  be  uniform  for  the  hitjJi 
schools  of  the  state?'  I  zvould  say  em- 
phatically, yes."  As  an  unsolicited  let- 
ter, it  is  indeed  remarkable. 

The  first  Unknown  Principal  has  un- 
dertaken to  compare  the  cost  of  a  Span- 
ish grammar  published  by  a  book  com- 
pany, with  a  little  booklet  containing  the 
Federal  and  State  Constitutions,  pub- 
lished by  the  State  Printing  Office.  He 
states  that  he  was  surprised  to  find  that 
the  Spanish  grammar  cost  90c,  while 
the  book  in  civics  cost  only  20c.  He 
forgot  to  take  into  account  the  fact  that 
the  authors  of  Magna  Charta  and  tb.e 
two  constitutions  made  no  charge  for 
their  services  in  compiling'  the  material 
published  in  the  book  in  civics,  while 
the  author  of  the  Spanish  grammar, 
realizing  that  he  must  eat,  had  demand- 
ed a  certain  royalty.  Moreover,  he  did 
not  know  that  the  plates  of  the  book  in 
civics  were  made  for  the  Legislative 
Counsel  Bureau ;  that  they  were  paid 
for  by  that  bureau ;  and  that  the  State 
Board  of  Education  sold  the  book  to 
the  high  schools  for  the  actual  cost  of 
printing  and  binding. 

COST  OF  TEXTBOOKS  UNDER  PRESENT 
SYSTEM 

The  proponents  have  laid  great  stress 
upon  the  cost  of  high  school  textbooks 
under  the  present  system  and  have  chal- 
lenged the  estimate  of  $6.00   for  each 


pupil  as  the  average  annual  cost  of  high 
sciiool  textbooks  in  this  state.  On  page 
14  of  their  \ir\vi  they  give  what  purports 
to  l)c  a  statement  of  textbook  costs  in 
tile  City  of  .Sacramento.  The  cost  for 
textbooks  in  Sacramento  for  the  first 
}ear.  according  to  these  figures,  is  $6.55  ; 
for  the  second  year  $9.75  ;  for  the!  third 
year  $13.25  ;  and  for  the  fourth  year 
$13.15.  These  figures,  we  have  been 
assured,  are  authentic,  since  they  were 
secured  through  a  high  school  pupil. 
Assuming  that  the  most  reliable  figures 
could  be  secured  through  the  ottice  of 
the  jjrincipal  of  the  Sacramento  High 
Sch(K)l,  we  asked  for  and  obtained  a 
statement,  showing  that  the  average  cost 
was  $7.21  per  pupil,  including  all  the 
necessary  bookkeeping  forms,  which  are 
not  textbooks  in  the  ordinary  sense.  The 
original  statement  of  the  principal  of 
.Sacramento  High  .'school  is  submitted 
to  the  committee  for  its  consideration. 

Realizing  the  danger  of  basing  a  con- 
chision  on  insufficient  data,  we  obtained 
statements  from  seven  high  school  prin- 
cipals concerning  the  cost  of  high  school 
textbooks.  Each  statement  is  signed  by 
the  princi])al  of  the  school  concerned 
and  all  of  the  originals  are  submitted 
for  the  consideration  of  your  commit- 
tee. 

Following  is  a  synopsis  of  these  state- 
ments : 

Range  Avei'age 

of  Cost  Annual  Cost 

San    Diego     $5.25 —  8.05  $  6.78 

Santa   Ana    6.79 

Auburn   4.31 

Red    Bluff    6.S6 

San    .lose    4.19—10.01  7.40 

Chaff ey  Union    3.90 

Gilroy 6.00 

$42.04 
Average $6.01 

These  figures  are  based  on  the  theory 
tliat  each  pupil  has  purchased  a  new 
book  in  each  subject.  The  principals 
estimate  that  the  figures  should  be  re- 
duced by  25  per  cent  at  least  on  account 
of  the  use  of  second-hand  copies.    This 


would  make  the  average  amount  ex- 
pended annually  about  $4.50  for  each 
pupil. 

COST  OF  TEXTBOOKS  FURNISHED  FREE  BY 
DISTRICT 

In  the  first  brief  which  we  submitf^d 
to  your  committee  we  pointed  out  the 
desirability  of  maintaining  the  present 
plan  of  adoption  by  the  district  from  a 
state  list,  and  suggested  that  books  so 
adopted  should  be  purchased  by  the  dis- 
trict and  furnished  free  to  the  pupils. 
A\'e  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  dis- 
tricts could  avail  themselves  of  the  dis- 
count of  20  to  25  per  cent  which  is  in- 
variably allowed  by  the  publishers  when; 
books  are  bought  in  quantity.  \\c 
maintain  that  this  is  not  only  the  best 
arrangement  from  the  educational 
standpoint,  but  that  it  is  more  econom- 
ical than  the  plan  put  forth  by  the  pro- 
ponents. Fortunately,  we  have  figures 
showing  the  cost  under  the  plan  which 
we  have  proposed. 

San  Mateo  has  been  supplying  text- 
books free  to  the  pupils  of  the  high 
school,  paying  for  them  out  of  district 
funds.  The  cost  for  each  pupil  enrolled 
last  year  was  $3.16.  Books  have  been 
ordered  for  next  year,  and  the  cost 
thereof  for  each  pupil  enrolled  is  $1.72. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  aver- 
age cost  for  each  pupil  enrolled  will 
amount  to  approximately  $2.50  each 
year.  We  are  filing  with  your  commit- 
tee the  original  data  supplied  by  the 
principal  of  San  Mateo  Union  High 
School.  We  submit  this  plan,  which 
will  secure  a  saving  of  approxi- 
mately 50  per  cent  in  the  cost  of 
books,  as  far  more  worthy  of  your 
recommendation  than  the  plan  ofifered 
bv  the  proponents.  The  plan  we  sug- 
gest will  conserve  the  interests  of  the 
parents  and  taxpayers ;  it  will  render 
high  school  education  free,  and  will 
maintain  for  the  high  schools  that  de- 
gree of   freedom  which  is  essential  if 


they  arc  to  do  successful  work.  As 
against  the  plan  of  the  proponents, 
which  is  destructive,  educationally 
wrong  and  economically  hazardous,  we 
ofifer  you  a  plan  which  is  constructive, 
educationally  right  and  economically 
sound. 

ESTIMATES    THAT    DO    NOT    CHECK    WITH 
ACTUAL  FIGURES 

On  page  15  of  their  brief  the  propo- 
nents of  state  uniformity  present  figures 
purporting  to  show  what  the  State 
Printing  Office  can  save  by  printing 
high  school  textbooks  in  the  more  com- 
mon branches.  These  figures  are  so 
remarkable  that  we  have  given  theni 
more  than  cursory  consideration.  The 
proponents  state  that  they  can  save 
$7,100  on  the  publishers"  list  price  of 
$11,000  for  an  edition  of  10,000  books 
in  English.  You  will  note  that  the  esti- 
mated cost  of  this  edition  is  $3,900, 
including  an  allowance  of  25  per  cent 
of  the  list  price  for  royalty.  The  royalty 
on  this  edition,  based  on  25  per  cent  of 
the  list  price,  would  amount  to  $2,750, 
leaving  only  $1,150  for  the  manufactur- 
ing cost.  This  is  just  uji  cents  per 
volume.  Xow  every  English  book  listed 
at  $1.10  in  use  in  the  high  schools  of 
this  state  contains  approximately  as 
many  pages  as  the  Brief  Histor)^  of  the 
United  States,  published  as  a  state  series 
text  for  use  in  the  elementary  schools. 
The  manufacturing  cost  of  this  book, 
according  to  the  proponents'  own  fig- 
ures (Page  2  of  their  brief),  is  21.1 
cents.  We  would  request  that  the  pro- 
ponents explain  this  glaring  discrepancy. 
Is  the  manufacturing  cost  of  the  Brief 
History  too  great  ?  Or  have  the  propo- 
nents suddenly  discovered  a  labor-sav- 
ing process  that  will  cut  the  manufac- 
turing cost  of  textbooks  in  two?  We 
believe  that  the  real  explanation  is  that 
the  figures  given  on  page  15  are  a  prod- 
uct of  the  crudest  guess-work. 

A  little   further  analvsis  shows  that 


they  are  most  unreliable.  For  every  one 
of  the  ten  books  listed,  the  proponents 
claim  a  saving  of  65  per  cent  on  the  list 
price.  We  ask  you  to  compare  this 
claim  with  the  statement  in  the  pro- 
ponents' brief  (Page  4)  that  the  saving 
through  state  publication  of  elementary 
school  books  is  52  per  cent.  Will  the 
proponents  explain  how  they  will  be 
able  to  save  13  per  cent  more  in  publish- 
ing high  school  textbooks  than  they  are 
now  saving  in  publishing  elementary 
school  textbooks?  The  utter  absurdity 
of  this  claim  is  apparent  when  we  recall 
that  the  number  of  copies  of  each  high 
school  textbook  required  annually  will 
be  about  one-tenth  of  the  number  of 
each  of  the  state  series  of  elementary 
textbooks  required. 

HAS  THE  PLAN  OF  STATE  UNIFORMITY  IN 

CALIFORNIA    ELEMENTARY    SCHOOLS 

BEEN    so    SUCCESSFUL    THAT    IT 

SHOULD  BE  EXTENDED  TO 

HIGH  SCHOOLSf 

The  proponents  base  their  chief  argu- 
ment for  state  uniformity  of  high  school 
textbooks  on  the  success  of  state  uni- 
formity and  state  publication  in  the  ele- 
mentary schools.  To  show  the  success 
of  the  plan,  they  submit  certain  statistics 
which  we  will  accept  as  a  basis  for  this 
discussion.  The  claim  is  made  that  the 
State  Printing  Office  is  saving  the  peo- 
ple of  California  $224,893.87  per  an- 
num. The  basis  for  reckoning  the  sav- 
ing is  the  publishers'  list  price.  We 
wish  to  point  out,  however,  that  in  other 
states  where  state  uniformity  of  ele- 
mentary school  textbooks  prevails,  the 
books  are  furnished  by  the  publishers 
at  a  discount  of  25  per  cent  on  the  list 
price.  (See  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education 
Bulletin,  191 5,  No.  36,  page  66.)  If 
California  were  to  purchase  its  books 
directly  from  the  publishers,  it  could 
secure  a  discount  of  25  per  cent  on  the 
publishers'  list  price.  We  must,  there- 
fore, deduct  from  the  amount  of  saving 


claimed  by  the  proponents  an  amount 
computed  at  25  per  cent  of  the  list 
price,  or  $116,636.62.  This  reduces  the 
saving  under  state  publication  to  $108,- 

257-25- 

We  cannot  refrain  from  pointing  out 
that  previous  to  Governor  Johnson's 
term  the  apparent  annual  saving  on  ele- 
mentary school  books,  after  deducting 
25  per  cent  as  discount,  was  only 
$6,797.11.  These  figures  are  computed 
on  the  basis  of  data  supplied  by  the  pro- 
ponents in  their  brief,  so  they  cannot 
be  questioned.  Moreover  these  figures 
were  made  when  the  cost  of  manufac- 
ture was  much  less  than  it  is  today. 
In  the  circumstances,  we  cannot 
concede  that  state  publication  of 
elementary  school  textbooks  was  suc- 
cessful previous  to  Governor  John- 
son's term,  and  we  cannot  concede  that 
it  wall  be  successful  in  the  future  unless 
we  assume  that  the  improvement  in  the 
State  Printing  Office  under  Governor 
Johnson's  administration  is  permanent. 
We  submit  that  state  uniformity  and 
state  publication  of  elementary  school 
books  has  not  been  so  markedly  suc- 
cessful as  to  justify  the  extension  of 
the  principle  of  state  publication  to 
high  school  textbooks. 

RATIO  OF  ROYALTY  TO  TOTAL  COST 

On  page  15  of  the  brief  filed  by  the 
proponents  there  appears  a  list  of  the 
high  school  books  which  they  claim  can 
be  printed  at  the  State  Printing  Office 
at  a  saving  to  the  state.  A  careful  study 
of  the  table  and  of  data  we  have  col- 
lected will  show  that  these  books  will 
cost  considerably  more  under  state  pub- 
lication than  under  our  suggested  plan. 

On  page  9  of  the  proponents'  brief 
you  will  find  this  statement:  ''The  roy- 
alty aiiiouiits  oil  cloiiicntary  textbooks 
fii:!;iired  as  follows:  15  per  cent  on  re- 
tail sales  price  in  other  states,  33  per 
cent  on  our  total  cost,  and  60  per  cent 
on  our  manufacturing  cost.'' 


Royalty 

Primer    .' $.048 

First    Reader    048 

Second    Reader    0525 

Third    Reader     06 

Fourth    Reader    09 

Fifth    Reader    09 

Speller    One     025 

Speller    Two    03 

First    Arithmetic .0525 

Advanced    Arithmetic    09 

English   Lessons   1 0675 

English    Lessons    II 09 

Introductory   History    15 

Brief    History     15 

Introductory    Geography     09 

Advanced   Geography    15 

Primer  of  Hygiene    06 

•Civics    125 


Per  Cent  of 

Number 

Royalty  on 

Distributed 

Mfg.  Cost 

Total  Cost 

Total  Cost 

1915-16 

$.083 

$.133 

36% 

17,169 

.078 

.126 

38% 

15.096 

.093 

.1455 

36% 

17,364 

.113 

.173 

347o 

12,485 

.128 

.218 

41% 

11,069 

.129 

.219 

417o 

10,691 

.103 

.128 

19% 

31,785 

.101 

.131 

23% 

20,446 

.104 

.1565 

33% 

29,225 

.123 

.213 

42% 

23,926 

.139 

.2065 

32  7o 

16,097 

.146 

.236 

38% 

16,878 

.142 

.292 

51% 

10,848 

.211 

.361 

il% 

16,796 

.203 

.293 

31% 

21,254 

.349 

.499 

30% 

23,910 

.106 

.166 

35% 

11,985 

.168 

.293 

43% 

9,722 

Average 

35%, 

The  table  above  shows  the  per 
•cent  of  royalty  on  the  total  cost  of  each 
book  and  the  number  of  each  book  dis- 
tributed in  191 5-16: 

\\  e  would  have  you  note  especially 
that  the  total  cost  in  most  instances  is 
three  times  the  royalty  cost,  as  the  pro- 
ponents have  stated.  The  average  is 
about  35  per  cent.  We  are  justified  in 
assuming,  therefore,  that  the  ratio  of 
one-third  between  royalty  and  total  cost 
is  a  reasonably  constant  one.  We  shall 
apply  this  ratio  in  a  later  paragraph  in 
estimating  the  cost  of  those  high  school 
textbooks  which  the  proponents  purpose 
publishing. 

PROBABLE   ROYALTY   COST 

In  our  first  brief  we  stated  that  it 
would  probably  be  impossible  for  the 
state  to  secure  the  lease  of  plates  to  be 
used  in  publishing  high  school  text- 
books. The  proponents  suggested 
(Page  9  of  their  brief)  that  informa- 
tion on  this  point  be  secured.  Our  cor- 
respondence with  publishers  confirms 
our  belief.  Even  assuming  that  plates 
can  be  leased,  we  pointed  out  in  our 


former  statement  that  the  royalty  would 
be  exorbitant  on  account  of  the  small 
number  of  each  book  needed  to  meet 
California  demands.  The  proponents 
have  admitted  that  the  royalty  on  plates 
for  high  school  books  will  be  higher 
than  the  royalty  on  elementary  school 
books.  (See  page  15  of  their  brief.) 
They  estimate  royalty  on  high  school 
books  at  25  per  cent,  although  the  state 
is  paying  only  15  per  cent  royalty  on 
elementary  school  books.  The  experi- 
ence of  Kansas  in  attempting  to  lease 
plates  for  high  school  books  warrants 
the  conclusion  that  if  any  bids  for  ac- 
ceptable books  are  received,  the  royalty 
will  be  at  least  30  per  cent  of  the  list 
price.  (See  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Educa- 
tion Bulletin,  191 5,  No.  36,  page  66.) 
Assuming,  however,  that  the  royalty 
charge  will  be  30  per  cent,  and  the  total 
cost  under  state  publication  will  be 
three  times  the  royalty,  as  the  propo- 
nents have  stated  in  their  brief  (Page 
9),  the  cost  of  an  edition  of  10,000 
copies  of  each  of  the  books  mentioned 
on  page  15  of  the  proponents'  brief 
would  be  as  follows : 


(?>) 


n) 

Royalty 

Knglish    33 

Civics    371^ 

Science    30 

Economics    30 

Algebra    (Elem.)    30 

Algebra     (Adv.)      -12 

Geometry    (Plane)     24 

Geometry     (Solid)     22>,i 

Bookkeeping    42 

Spanish    Grammar    <>'iV2 


(2) 

Whol 

e.salc  Price 

Total  Cost 

P 

rice  for  10,000 

Total  Cost 

pe 

r  Copy 

for  10,000 

Wholesale, 

per  Copy 

from 

Piildi.slier 

State  Mfg. 

fi 

om  Publislicr 

.99 

.88 

$9,900 

$8,800 

1.121^ 

1.00 

11,250 

10.000 

.90 

.80 

9,000 

?  000 

.10 

.80 

9,000 

,8,000 

.90 

.80 

9,000 

8,000 

1.26 

1.12 

12.600 

11,200 

.72 

.64 

7.200 

6,400 

.67% 

.60 

6,750 

6,000 

1.26 

1.12 

12.600 

11,200 

1.121/2 

'otal    . 

1.00 

11,250 

10,000 

T 

.  .  ..$98,. ^50 

$87,600 

LOSS   OF   THOUSANDS   OF   DOLL.\RS    UNDF.R 
STATE    PUBLICATION 

It  will  be  note<i  that  the  loss  sustained 
hy  the  state  on  an  edition  of  io,ooo 
copies  of  each  book  would  be  $10,950. 
To  this  must  be  added  the  cost  of  mak- 
ing the  adoptions.  The  experience  of 
the  State  Board  of  Education  in  adopt- 
ing books  for  the  elementary  schools 
proves  that  the  cost  of  adopting'  books 
is  no  small  item.  The  commissioners 
and  expert  readers  must  carefully  in- 
vestigate the  books  submitted  and  the 
Board  must  sit  to  hear  arguments  by 
the  publishers'  agents  on  the  merits  of 
the  books.  Under  the  present  system 
the  public  does  not  incur  any  expense 
for  adopting  high  school  books. 

The  cost  of  adopting  one  elementary 
textbook  is  approximately  as  follows : 

COST  OF  ADOPTING   BOOK 

Per  diem  of  7  members  of  State  Board  of 
Education,   2   days   @    $15   each $210.00 

Expenses  of  7   members  of  State    Board 

of  Education,   2   days   @   $5   each 70.00 

30  days'  tinie  of  Commissioner  of  Sec- 
ondary Schools,  investigating  book, 
preparing  brief,   etc 333.00 

5    expert    readers    to    investigate    lK>ok, 

(fv  $25   12.'). 00 

Clerical     assistance    in     handling     extra 

work   25.00 

Total   cost   per  book $763.00 

For  the  ten  books  included  in  the 
tal)le  we  must  therefore  add  $7,630  to 
the  cost,  making  the  total  loss  to  the 
state  through  state  publication  $18,580. 
Taking  the  publishers'  wholesale  price 
as  a  basis,  we  find  that  the  cost  of  these 
ten  books  under  state  publication  will 


l)e  at  least  21  per  cent  greater.  If  state 
publication  of  other  books  requn-mg 
smaller  editions  were  undertaken,  the 
loss  to  tlie  state  would  be  at  least  $50,- 
000  annually.  This  is  assuming  that  a 
state  printed  book  would  be  equally  well 
printed  and  bound  and  the  materials 
used  of  quality  such  that  it  would  last 
as  long  as  the  one  purchased  in  open 
market.  I'Vom  an  economic  standpoint, 
therefore,  state  publication  of  high 
school  textbooks  is  out  of  the  question. 

SMALL    ENROLLMENT,    LONG    USE, 
GREAT   LOSS 

It  would  be  unjust  to  continue  the 
use  of  any  given  book  until  an  edition 
of  25,000  was  exhausted,  as  this  repre- 
sents the  minimum  number  which  the 
state  could  successfully  print.  How 
long  would  such  an  edition  last?  A 
few^  examples  will  be  sufficient: 

Third  year  Latin  texts  would  last  26 
years;  fourth  }ear  Latin,  ^2  years; 
German  texts,  10  to  11  years;  English 
History,  11  years;  economics,  18  years; 
agritnilture,  ;},ji,  years;  household  chem- 
i"'try^3  years.  Shall  we  mortgage  the 
interests  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  the 
next  generation  and  be  compelled  to 
teach  that  which  is  not  true? 

(1)  The  royalty  is  computed  at  30  per  cent 
(il    the   ]>ublishers'   list   price. 

(2)  To  find  the  total  cost  per  copy,  multiply 
the  royalty  by  3.  (The  proponents  in  their 
brief  (Page  i)  state  that  the  royalty  on  Ele- 
mentary school  books  amounts  to  33  per  cent 
of  the  total  cost.) 

(3)  Found  by  deducting  20  per  cent  from 
the    publishers'    li.«t    price. 


10 


II 

EOrCATIONAL   PHASES    OF 
STATE   UNIFORMITY 


UNITY    VS.    UNIFORMITY 


We  are  interested  in  maintaining  such 
freedom  in  the  matter  of  textbooks  as 
shall  make  it  possible  to  fit  them  fairly 
to  the  diverse  needs  of  classes  formed 
for  various  purposes  and  coming  from 
varying  surroundings.  We  do  not 
want  growing  subjects  to  be  crystal- 
lized about  any  one  man's  ideas.  Wq 
do  not  want  the  study  of  any  of  the 
great  fields  of  knowledge  to  be  limited 
for  an  entire  state  to  what  is  given  in 
one  textbook.  We  do  not  want  to 
place  a  premium  upon  the  study  of  tra- 
ditional subjects  and  ancient  knowledge 
by  furnishing  such  textbooks  free,  as 
suggested  by  the  proponents  on  page 
14  of  their  brief,  while  the  new  and 
vital  stufif  of  the  day  is  sidetracked  be- 
cause the  pupil  must  pay  to  get  it.  We 
do  not  want  the  marvelous  advantages 
of  UXITY  muddled  in  anybody's  mind 
with  the  deadening  effects  of  slavery  to 
UNIFORMITY.  Finally,  we  recognize 
the  necessity  of  careful  scrutiny  of 
financial  methods  involved  in  the  dif- 
ferent ways  of  furnishing  textbooks. 
We  recognize  the  great  value  of  some 
central  body  to  guard  against  careless 
expenditures  for  textbooks  and  evident 
mistakes  as  to  the  reliability  QX^^dapt- 
ability  of  such  books.  W^e  -would 
strongly  deprecate  any  change  that 
would  replace  the  benevolent  power  of 
such  a  central  body,  subject  to  reason 
and  to  changing  conditions,  with  the 
technical  restrictions  of  complicated 
laws  and  the  embalming  effects  of  large 
financial  investments  and  unnecessary 
financial  ventures  on  the  part  of  the 
State. 


TEACHERS   FIRST   ADVOCATED   FREE 
TEXTBOOKS 

Let  it  be  clearly  understood  that  the 
educational  people  of  the  State  are  and 
have  been  generally  favorable  to  free 
textbooks,  and  that  the  proposition, 
backed  by  careful  investigation  of  the 
experience  elsewhere,  that  textbooks 
should  be  free,  was  made  by  them  long 
before  any  other  bodies  had  even  dis- 
cussed the  matter. 

The  State  Association  in  1902  adopt- 
ed the  report  of  a  committee  favoring 
free  textbooks,  and  later  the  Southern 
California  Association  adopted  a  simi- 
lar report.  It  thus  appears  that  the 
teachers  of  the  State,  whenever  they 
have  made  any  investigation  of  the 
matter,  have  reported  favorably  to  free 
textbooks,  and  largely  on  financial 
grounds.  But  there  has  never  been  any 
report  from  any  State  teachers'  body 
favoring  uniform  textbooks  for  high 
schools. 

None  of  the  objections  to  uniformity 
apply  of  necessity  to  free  books  fur- 
nished by  the  district,  either  with  or 
without  State  aid.  Local  adoptions  can 
have  thrown  about  them  all  necessary 
care  and  oversight.  Limitations  can  be 
placed  on  expenditures,  so  that  inter- 
ests of  economy  can  be  conserved  and 
still  educational  conditions  and  aims  be 
fully  met.  The  State  Board  of  Edu- 
cation can  adequately  guard  all  inter- 
ests concerned.  Free  books  have  their 
objections,  but  these  objections  apply 
to  them  if  uniform  just  the  same.  They 
are  largely  objections  of  sanitation  and 
administration. 

It  is  worth  while  to  note  that  we  may 
compel  districts  to  provide  textbooks 
free  within  a  given  period,  give  State 
aid  if  we  think  best  so  to  do,  and  still 
be  free  to  retire  from  this  position  at 
any  time  we  think  best  to  do  so,  or 
provide  for  uniformity  or  State  print- 
ing if  we  then  think  it  wise,  without 


11 


financial  loss  to  the  State  in  making'  the 
change.  On  the  other  hand,  the  under- 
taking of  production  of  these  books  by 
the  State  means  not  only  uniformity, 
but  long  continued  use  of  the  same 
textbook,  good  or  bad,  and  an  invest- 
ment by  the  State  that  renders  any 
modification  of  our  course  in  the  light 
of  experience,  our  own  or  that  of  oth- 
ers, most  difficult. 

THE  TEXTBOOK   A   BODY  OF   KNOWLEDGE 

The  textbook  is  primarily  an  accepted 
body  of  knowledge.  Time  was  when 
we  were  able  to  include  between  the 
covers  of  a  textbook  pretty  much  all 
the  accepted  body  of  knowledge  in  any 
field.  Today,  such  a  body  of  knowl- 
edge in  most  fields  would  fill  libraries. 
Different  textbooks  present  different 
portions  of  this  body  of  knowledge  ac- 
cording as  people  and  schools  differ  in 
their  estimate  of  what  is  most  funda- 
mental. Even  teachers  differ  frequent- 
ly as  to  what  they  can  give  with  greatest 
effect.  \\'hile  any  good  teacher  may  be 
able  to  present  with  average  success 
any  portion  of  his  own  field,  a  teacher 
is  frequently  found  who  can  do  work 
of  remarkable  effectiveness  in  some 
portion  of  the  field  where  he  has  ex- 
ceptional education,  experience,  or  na- 
tive talent. 

Thus  it  is  quite  within  the  realm  of 
reason  that  at  times  it  may  be  in  the 
interest  of  efficiency  to  make  this  work 
possible.  \\'hether  it  is  financially  ex- 
pedient is  then  the  question  for  some 
responsible  authority  to  decide.  Where 
the  young  people  in  different  parts  of  a 
state  have  been  educated  in  a  given 
field — say  civics — in  different  text- 
books, the  equilibrium  of  the  state  as 
regards  this  field  is  maintained  after 
these  young  people  leave  school  and  be- 
come an  influential  part  of  the  State  by 
the  attrition  of  these  various  ideas  and 
ideals    upon    one    another.      In    other 


words,  the  larger  education  is  the  edu- 
cation the  young  people  of  the  state 
give  each  other  as  they  bring  into  the 
contact  of  real  life  their  various  views 
obtained  in  school  life.  It  is  fortunate 
for  the  educational  breadth  of  any  state 
if  its  school  views  have  not  all  been 
obtained  from  the  same  book. 

THE  TEXTBOOK   A    MODE  OF   APPROACH 

A  textbook  is  not  only  an  organ- 
ized body  of  knowledge ;  it  is  also  a 
mode  of  approach.  As  long  as  schools 
were  for  "born  scholars"  only,  and  so- 
called  culture  was  the  sole  aim  of  the 
school,  Greek  roots  and  science  were  oo 
equal  footing.  Today  all  are  going  to 
school  and  are  demanding  that  school 
w'ork  shall  appear  to  them  rational  and 
worth  while  attempting.  That  it  may 
do  this,  it  must  find  its  roots  in  the  real 
life  the  pupil  knows  and  must  show  it- 
self in  some  degree  applicable  to  the  so- 
lution of  the  life  problems  he  antici- 
pates meeting.  The  demand  is  that 
education  shall  be  practical,  growing 
out  of  the  surroundings  of  the  pupil 
and  helpful  to  him  in  living  a  larger 
and  more  effective  life  than  he  could 
otherwise  do.  The  selection  of  a  text- 
book is  one  important  factor.  It  is  the 
prescription. 

The  local  physician  may  not  always 
be  able  to  make  the  wisest  prescription, 
but  it  is  very  certain  that  a  committee 
at  a  central  point  should  not  be  expected 
to  make  the  wisest  diagnosis  of  the  local 
needs.  Co-operating  in  a  reasonable 
way,  a  central  committee  could  do  the 
work  of  an  expert  consulting  physician. 
The  demand  for  more  practical  educa- 
tion, applicable  to  life  and  derived  from 
real  surrounding  conditions,  has  given 
rise  to  a  flood  of  new  textbooks  meet- 
ing this  need  with  greater  or  less  suc- 
cess. But  those  books  adapted  to  one 
purpose,  or  to  one  set  of  conditions,  are 
thereby  less  adapted  to  some  other  pur- 
pose or  set  of  conditions.     Such  efforts 


12 


are  the  hope  of  popular  education.  Sti- 
fle them  and  we  are  tied  to  the  past. 
The  body  of  teachers  will  naturally 
teach  largely  as  they  have  been  taught, 
but  the  cutting  edge  of  progress  for 
them  and  for  the  schools  is  the  new 
textbook  that  links  some  field  of  knowl- 
edge up  with  life  in  a  new  and  more 
effective  way. 

TEXTBOOKS  AS  TOOLS 

The  textbook  is  not  only  a  body  of 
knowledge  and  mode  of  approach,  but 
also  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  the  teacher. 
A  teacher  may,  to  be  sure,  teach  any 
subject  of  which  he  is  a  thorough  mas- 
ter, without  a  textbook,  but  only  as  he 
practically  makes  a  textbook  himself. 
Teachers  of  excellent  abilities  in  the 
class  room  may  be  wholly  unable  to  or- 
ganize the  equivalent  of  a  good  text- 
book even  if  they  have  the  time,  and 
the  ordinary  textbook  on  the  market  re- 
quires years  for  its  completion.  An 
occasional  experiment  without  a  text- 
book may  be  advisable  for  temporary 
reasons,  but  is  not  usually  compatible 
with  greatest  efficiency. 

How  the  conception  of  the  textbook 
as  a  tool  may  call  for  a  difference  in 
textbooks  in  different  schools  is  appar- 
ent if  the  kind  of  textbook  in  civil  gov- 
ernment for  instance,  reqviired  by  a 
teacher  of  a  class  in  a  large  city  high 
school  be  compared  with  that  required 
by  the  teacher  in  a  small  rural  high 
school,  who  frequently  finds  that_in  ad- 
dition to  other  subjects  he  must  teach 
the  civil  government.  The  former,  with 
large  reference  libraries  at  hand,  both 
in  school  and  city,  with  time  to  organ- 
ize the  work  and  take  his  class  to  study 
first  hand  the  details  of  city  and  county 
government,  wants  a  mere  outline  for 
the  textbook  and  prefers  that  his  pupils 
should  not  be  prejudiced  by  arguments 
and  conclusions  drawn  by  an  authority 
already    adopted    and    accepted.      The 


rural  high  school  teacher  on  the  other 
hand,  nuist  have  a  book  that  will  largely 
carry  the  subject,  to  which  he  can 
scarce  give  the  time  for  recitation.  A 
system  that  would  permanently  and 
certainly  prohibit  principals  from  hav- 
ing any  possible  voice  in  the  selection 
of  the  tools  their  teachers  must  use, 
would  doubtless  be  held  in  the  same 
regard  by  them,  as  a  system  by  a  super- 
intendent of  a  manufactory  that  would 
permanently  debar  him  from  havmg 
any  voice  or  power  of  recommendation 
of  machines  or  tools  that  he  sees  will 
make  for  efficiency. 

NARROWING   INFLUENCE   OF   THE   SINGLE 
TEXT 

It  is  as  preposterous  to  demand  that 
all  high  school  teachers  use  the  same 
text  as  it  would  be  to  demand  that  all 
carpenters  use  a  Simonds  or  a  Disston 
saw.  Is  there  not  the  same  reason  for 
prescribing  uniform  apparatus  in  all  the 
laboratory  sciences ;  uniform  tools  in 
the  industrial  art  courses ;  uniform 
equipment  in  all  the  commercial  depart- 
ments, and  indeed,  uniform  articles  in 
all  general  school  supplies  ? 

The  courses  and  the  textbooks  must 
not  only  be  chosen  to  suit  the  varying 
needs  of  the  pupils  and  of  the  communi- 
ties in  which  they  live,  and  be  adapted 
to  the  individuality  of  the  teacher,  if 
the  highest  efficiency  is  to  be  attained, 
but  these  textbooks  must  be  selected  in 
relation  to  the  school  equipment.  This 
is  true  in  all  departments,  particularly 
in  the  cultural  subjects  of  History, 
English,  Economics,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  laboratory  courses,  whether  in  the 
sciences,  commercial  work  or  other 
branches.  How  could  a  small  high 
school,  with  few,  if  any  books,  use  suc- 
cessfully a  history  text  calling  for  a 
great  deal  of  supplementary  reading? 
Should  the  Los  Angeles  High  School, 
on  the  other  hand,  with  8100  volumes  in 


13 


its  own  lilirary,  be  compelled  to  use  a 
text  without  such  a  rich  fund  of  sup- 
plementary materials?  There  would  be 
a  gross  injustice  in  comiielling  all 
schools  to  follow  the  same  course  and 
to  use  the  same  laboratory  texts  or  man- 
uals in  the  sciences.  The  small  high 
school  would  find  it  utterly  impossible 
to  purchase  the  apparatus  and  supplies 
required  by  the  science  courses  as  given 
in  the  Oakland  Technical  High  School. 
It  would  be  a  greater  injustice  to  limit 
the  efficiency  of  the  larger  high  schools 
by  expecting  them  to  conform  to  the 
same  course  requirements  as  some  of 
the  mcagerly  equipped  schools  of  the 
state. 

There  are  numerous  subjects  that  are 
being  newly  taught  in  high  schools  such 
as  economics — a  study  of  the  principles 
underlying  the  business  world  —  in 
which  crystallization  by  the  long-time 
adoption  of  a  single  textbook  would 
chloroform  the  subject.  General  Sci- 
ence is  everywhere  coming  in  as  neces- 
sary, it  being  only  ordinary  good  sense 
to  believe  that  young  people  should  be 
made  acquainted  with  the  science  of 
common  things  in  this,  an  age  of  sci- 
ence. But  the  ventures  at  textbook 
making  in  this  field  have  thus  far  been 
wholly  inadequate.  Even  so  formal  a 
subject  as  algebra  has  recently  receiv- 
ed some  lively  and  practical  contribu- 
tions to  its  list  of  textbooks.  A  most 
excellent  textbook  has  just  appeared, 
in  which  all  algebraic  formulae  are  de- 
rived from  such  ordinary  surroundings 
as  the  sewing  machine,  the  turning 
lathe,  the  traveling  crane,  and  the  more 
common  machines  of  the  shop,  so  that 
the  subject  is  not  a  mere  juggling  of 
symbols.  It  will  probably  be  the  mak- 
ing of  boys  and  girls  where  it  is  used 
by  a  teacher  who  understands  and  ap- 
preciates it,  because  it  makes  the  best 
of  algebra  real  and  discards  what  can- 
not be  made  real.     Its  successful  intro- 


duction, however,  can  hardly  come  by 
fiat.  The  teacher  must  recognize  in  it 
a  needed  tool.  Science  preparatory  for 
engineering  is  not  the  same  as  science 
for  lionie  economics  courses.  Science 
adapted  to  ncetls  of  girls  is  not  necessa- 
rily the  science  needed  by  the  boys. 
The  agricultural  and  horticultural  con- 
ditions in  dififerent  parts  of  the  state 
demand  treatment  in  textbooks  dififer- 
ing  the  one  from  the  other. 

Instances  requiring  difi:erence  of 
treatment  impossible  in  case  of  state- 
wide adoption  might  be  multiplied  at 
length.  "Probably  no  one  of  all  the 
thousands  of  high  schools",  say  Strayer 
and  Thorndike  in  their  book  on  Educa- 
tional Administration,  page  175,  "is  do- 
ing the  best  possible  thing  for  educa- 
tion, but  most  of  them  would  do  worse 
than  they  now  do  if  they  all  did  do  the 
very  best  possible  thing  for  any  one 
of  them." 

It  has  been  asked  if  there  are  not 
subjects  in  which  there  is  practically 
no  change.  It  has  been  suggested,  for 
instance,  that  the  Greek  Epics  of  Ho- 
mer are  not  liable  to  any  violent 
changes  in  the  general  disturbances  of 
modern  life;  that  the  Lady  of  the  Lake 
is  the  same  as  when  written ;  and  so 
with  the  classic  literatures  of  other 
languages.  Would  it  not  be  advisable, 
we  are  asked,  to  mak^e  these  uniform  as 
to  edition  and  perhaps  print  them  at 
our  state  printing  office  even  though 
the  pupil  must  purchase  his  other  text- 
books? If  such  text  as  "Lady  of  the 
Lake"  for  instance,  were  made  uni- 
form and  free,  other  literature,  no  mat- 
ter how  much  more  practical  or  well 
adapted  to  tlie  purpose  in  hand,  requir- 
ing a  textbook  to  be  bought  would  be 
sidetracked.  \\'e  should  at  once  see  the 
tendency  to  give  only  those  subjects  in 
which  the  book  is  free.  Spanish  would 
give  place  to  Latin.     Similar  examples 


14 


in  other  fields  of  educational  endeavor 
come  readily  to  mind. 

UNIFOR-MITV   A   DAXGEROUS   ADVENTURE 

In  our  opinion,  your  Committee 
would  do  well  to  consider  carefully  the 
likelihood  of  the  State  being  able  to 
command  the  best  of  the  textbooks  al- 
ready written  or  to  obtain  for  State  use 
with  any  certainty  the  best  of  our  local 
product.  Your  Committee  should  also 
determine  whether  really  successful 
textbooks  can  be  written  to  order. 

\\'e  believe  that  it  is  the  business  of 
the  State,  where  possible,  to  protect  its 
citizens  against  egregious  and  costly 
errors  of  judgment.  Fortunately,  in 
this  case,  it  is  not  necessary  to  throttle 
initiative  or  hamper  progress  to  do  it. 
There  is  ample  experience  both  outside 
and  inside  the  State  of  California  to 
draw  upon.  Many  States  and  hun- 
dreds of  cities  have  tried  free  text- 
books. Their  experience  covers  many 
years.  There  is  no  necessity  for  mak- 
ing a'.n-  excursion  into  the  sea  of  un- 
tried policies.  W'e  have  a  State  Board 
of  Education  that  was  created  to  bring 
to  us  the  light  of  the  world's  experi- 


ence and  keep  in  full  touch  with  the 
real  educational  situation  in  California. 
They  can  keep  the  State  from  foolish 
and  dangerous  adventures,  but  only  as 
the  .State  through  its  organization  con- 
sults them  and  listens  to  them.  We  are 
but  a  temporary  committee  of  a  \olun- 
tary  organization.  Without  doubt  we 
do,  in  this  matter,  represent  the  teach- 
ers of  the  State.  The  State  Board  of 
Education  in  a  permanent  and  authori- 
tative way  represents  not  the  teachers 
only,  but  the  entire  educational  inter- 
ests of  this  State.  To  the  State  Board 
of  Education  we  refer  your  committee 
for  any  factors  on  either  side  of  the 
question  that  we  have  overlooked  or 
through  unwitting  prejudice  have  failed 
to  state  fairly. 

Finally,  we  submit  that  a  unified  edu- 
cational system  does  not  involve  uni- 
formity. Unity  of  efifort  implies  ra- 
tional co-operation  among  factors 
differing  as  widely  as  the  conditions 
that  surround  them.  Uniformity  means 
mechanical  duplication,  displaces  rea- 
son, and  stops  progress. 

Unity  is  the  law  of  life.  Uniformity 
is  the  rule  of  death. 


15 


SELECTED    BIBLIOGRAPHY 

ON    STATE    UNIFORMITY    AND    STATE    PUBLICATION 

OF  HIGH  SCHOOL  TEXTBOOKS* 

California  Council  of  Education.  Free  Textbooks,  Report.  Sierra  Educa- 
tional Nc7us,  8:333-38,  May,  1912. 

California  Textbook  System,  The.  L.  E.  Armstrong,  Sierra  Educational 
NezK's,  8:7-16;  7-16,  Oct.  and  Nov.,  1911. 

Cubberley,  Ellwood  p..  Textbooks.  In  Cyclopedia  of  Education,  ed.  by 
P.  Monroe.    Vol.  5.    New  York,  The  Macmillan  Company,  1913,  p.  756-78. 

Dutton,  Samuel  T.,  and  Snedden,  David.  Free  Textbooks.  In  their 
Administration  of  Public  Education  in  the  United  States.  Xew  York, 
The  Macmillan  Company,   1908,  p.  216-23.     (Rev.   ed.,   1912.) 

Georgia.  General  Assembly.  Schoolbook  Investigating  Conunittee.  Report. 
(Atlanta),  1914,  24  p.  8°. 

Jenks,  Jeremiah  W.,  Schoolbook  Legislation  (in  Indiana).  In  his  Citizen- 
ship and  the  Schools.  New  York,  H.  Holt  and  Company,  1906,  p.  207-64. 
Reprint  from  Political  Science  Quarterly,  March,   1891. 

Klingman,  O.  E.  Textbook  Legislation  in  Iowa.  Iowa  City,  State  Histor- 
ical Society  of  Iowa,  191 5.    65  p.  4°. 

Reprinted  from  lozva  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,   13:53-113,  January, 
1915- 

New  York  (State)  Department  of  Efficiency  and  Economy.  Report  of 
investigation  of  the  cost  of  providing  free  textbooks  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  1914.  Albany,  J.  B.  Lyon  Company,  191 5, 
445  P-  8°. 

WiNSHip,  A.  E.  Textbook — Educational,  Commercial  and  Political. 
Journal  of  Education,  81-285-88,  March  18,  191 5. 

An  address  before  the  Department  of  Superintendence,  -Cincinnati,   Febru- 
ary 2^,  1915. 

Also  in  American  School,  i  :69-7i,  March,  1915. 


*For  more  extended  bibliography  see  Bulletin  Xo.  36,  1915,  United  Statea  Bureau  of 
Education,  p.  66. 


16 


mm 


"The  high  school  people  of  the  state  have  no  fight  against  the 
principle  of  free  textbooks.  .  .  .  Uniformity  in  high  school  texts 
would  prove  absolutely  detrimental  to  the  best  interests  of  the  future 
citizenship  of  this  state.  Unification  in  many  things  is  desirable. 
Uniformity  is  deadening.  Pupils  differ  in  their  capacity  and  adapt- 
ability. Schools  differ  in  the  length  of  their  terms.  Teachers  differ  in 
training  and  temperament.  Localities  differ  widely  in  their  environ- 
ment and  needs.  Schools  differ  as  regards  the  courses  offered.  The 
tremendous  progress  made  by  the  high  schools  of  California  has  been 
in  no  small  degree  due  to  the  fact  that  teachers  and  schools  have  been 
allowed  freedom  in  the  choice  of  textbooks.  Indeed,  wherever  uni- 
formity has  been  imposed  upon  the  school  in  the  matter  of  textbooks, 
the  flexibility  of  the  law  providing  for  supplementary  books  has  been 
the  saving  grace  of  the  system.  Uniformity,  let  us  hope,  will  not  be 
imposed  upon  us."— In  Sierra  Educational  News  for  January,  1916, 
page  11. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
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